There's a Way for Us
by Kyatto Ivery
Summary: Marius has received a letter from Cosette with heartbreaking news, and Eponine tries to help him through it. MariusXEponine. Inspired from the 2012 film (because I love Eddie and Sam so much).
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

"Oh God above, please no! This cannot be true!" wailed Marius Pontmercy, as he gripped the delicate letter that had just arrived for him. Tears began streaming down his face, blurring the beautiful handwriting of his beloved Cosette, as they fell upon the page. He crumpled it in his fist and bolted up the stairs, into his bedroom, and woke everyone in the house with the slam of his door. The whole ordeal resembled that of a child who was angry at his parents, throwing a tantrum. Marius collapsed onto his bed in a mound of self-pity, and wept.

"First, my friends... Enjolras... all of them... dead! She cannot possibly abandon me now!" the young man sobbed, gripping the edge of his sheets. He was truly a sorry sight to behold. It was not long before there was a timid knock on the door.

"Leave me to myself, Grandfather! I do not wish to speak with anyone." There was a brief moment of silence, before a soft voice replied.

"Marius?" whispered Eponine, opening the door, very slightly, but just enough to see inside. When she saw him, her initial thought was that he was feeling yet another wave of remorse, for leaving the students at the barricade when he carried her off to the doctor, after she had been shot in the stomach. Although he may have saved her, the devastating carnage that ensued in his absence managed to take everyone of his companion's lives, and he felt like he was somehow responsible. Since then, both of them had been staying with Marius' wealthy Grandfather, so Eponine could recover in a safe environment, rather than the disgusting slum that was her usual residence. She had been up and walking for days now, but was still in a very tender condition, and wore a tight wrap around her abdomen. When Marius did not answer her, she quietly entered the room, and closed the door.

"Marius, if this is about the students-"

"No, 'Ponine." he interrupted. "It's about my love. My Cosette." She immediately felt her heart sink, and began wishing that she had just stayed in the guest room. The last thing she wanted to do was listen to the man she loved bleating over another woman. Eponine let out a long, audible sigh.

"Well, what has she done?"

"This." he whimpered, as he tossed the crumpled letter in her direction. Holding her wound tightly, she bent down to pick it up. After a lot of smoothing, it was at least somewhat legible. She discovered that not only had Cosette traveled far away with her father, but she was also asking, much to Eponine's surprise, that Marius try to forget they had ever met each other. She explained how she had been caught up in a wave of emotion, and had ultimately confused a feeling of sudden excitement with that of love. She gave her thanks for the experience, and apologized for hurting him. The final lined ended with the promise of perpetual separation. The entire letter seemed rather rushed, as if it had been written in a very short amount of time.

"How horrible I am." thought Eponine. "That I am actually pleased at this outcome. It is sickening." Suddenly, she looked up to see that Marius had gotten off the bed, and was now standing. But he was not facing her, and instead seemed to be silently staring at something on the floor. Eponine realized that his object of fascination was the small brown box she had seen him going through earlier that month. He continued to gaze at it, with a terrified look in his eyes, and she pressed her brain, trying to remember what she had seen in it.

"Think, 'Ponine. It was the day before the Revolution started... he took off his ring... and pulled out... a pistol." Shocked, the girl darted for the case and snatched it off the floor. Marius simply watched her with an unchanging expression, his tears continuing to fall. A pathetic smiled appeared on his face.

"No 'Ponine... I wasn't. Not when there's still a chance she'll return to me."

"You're not thinking straight. I don't want to leave you alone right now." Eponine said, hesitantly.

"I'll be fine. This nightmare will be over soon, I'm sure." He dropped back onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling, and rubbing his forehead. "Please, I'd like to be by myself. To think."

Eponine gave him a pained expression, and then turned to go.

"Marius, you know, I'll be here for you. Like you were for me." she mumbled. Again, he did not grace her with a response, and she left. Standing outside the door she heard the sobbing resume, and thought about how unimpressed the other students would have been with him. Only she could truly understand what it was like to have your heart broken on such a scale.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 (Chapters are short, but updates will hopefully be frequent)**

Over the next couple days, Marius wrote multiple letters to Cosette, each of them sounding more hopeless than the last. He would check for mail whenever it came to mind, and get distraught when Eponine, who was now able to run errands, did not have any news for him.

"I told you already, the house is still empty. They are not coming back." she would say.

"You don't know that for sure. Check again soon." was his only reply. And she would, but only to relax her fear that Cosette would indeed return. She was always relieved to see the empty darkness of the house when peering through its windows. But, Marius' incessant pestering was beginning to get to her. Eponine did not find him annoying, but instead, hurtful. She wondered how someone could possibly be so blissfully unaware of how they were affecting another person. While she was still reluctant to share her feelings with him, as she had always been, she still wished with all her heart that he would know how she felt. It was obvious to anyone else who saw them together. Gavroche, her spirited younger brother, who had died in the Revolution, would often tease her.

"Eponine's in love with Prince Marius! Gonna marry him and be a princess, are ya? Gonna go live in that big castle of his?" he used to sing playfully. She would simply smile at her brother's antics. He did not understand the pain she felt. But now that he was gone, she felt all the more determined, and one day, while walking back to the Pontmercy house, she made a promise out loud, to herself and Gavroche.

"I'll become that princess, Gavroche. You'll see. We'll all be living in that castle soon." She missed him so much. Though they were never especially close, he was the only thing she had to protect, but she had protected someone else.

When Eponine arrived home that evening, she was nearly knocked down by Marius, who had seen her coming up the street, through his bedroom window. He quickly took the bag of provisions that she had just bought out of her hands and carried it into the kitchen. Following behind him, she dragged her feet as she walked, knowing what was about to come.

"You went by the house then?" he asked, hesitating, as he was beginning to sense her melancholy disposition.

"I did."

"And?" he asked, impatiently. She took a deep breath. It was time to snap him out of this distorted hope. As painful as it may be, it needed to be done, for his own sake. "The sooner, the better." she thought. The girl stood up as straight as she could, and looked him right in the eyes. Marius swallowed and leaned slightly back, as he suddenly felt nervous, not knowing what she was going to say.

"Monsieur Marius, Cosette and her father have left. They were not back today, they were not back yesterday, and they will certainly not be back tomorrow. I am sorry if this upsets you, but I think you need to consider the fact that Cosette may have been right. And maybe you know she is, and just need to come to terms with it. I said I would be there for you, and this is me doing that. Excuse my bluntness, but please, continue your life without this girl, with whom you spoke to only once. There are other things you should be focusing on. You're being a fool." Eponine was shocked with herself. That was quite possibly the boldest thing she had ever said. Sure, she had once talked back to her brute of a father, but never anything on that scale. Suddenly, she became worried about Marius' reaction. She knew what her father would have done. Slapped her right across the face. She braced herself for the worst.

"Oh 'Ponine." he sighed. "You could never understand. To love someone with all your heart, and have that love be unrequited. The last thing you want to do is give up." She felt the tears swell up in her eyes. He really _was_ an idiot! Her face turned red, and her fists clenched together.

"Marius! Don't you dare speak for me!" she barked, just as the droplets began to plummet down her dirty cheeks, leaving clean trails behind them. "You don't know! You've been blind! You always have... even before..." her words descended into a whisper, and she slowed down, stopping herself before a flat out confession was spoken. "I think I'll go to bed." Eponine said, just loud enough for him to hear. Marius just looked at her as she left, with his mouth slightly ajar. He was completely bewildered.

"What on earth..." he thought to himself. He could not recall another instance where his best friend had yelled at him with actual anger. He could not even think of what he had said to upset her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3 (Hope you guys like it! Thanks a bunch for the reviews on the last chapter!)**

The days went by, and although Eponine had planned to leave after only a week or so, both Marius and his grandfather insisted that she stay until her wound was completely healed. This was quite surprising to her, as she would have thought that a street girl in the house would "bring more shame" to the noble family, but instead she had been treated like the hero she was.

"I suppose it's rather nice to have a feminine touch." said Marius' grandfather one day, while they were chatting in the parlor. This made Marius chuckle, as he would have hardly considered his "ol 'Ponine" to be feminine.

The two men had not been on good terms in the last months before the Revolution, mostly for political reasons, and Marius had even been living on his own in a small apartment. Moving back in was awkward at first, but using Eponine's health as an excuse made the transition easier. There was only one condition: he had to attend any and every event is grandfather wanted.

"Oh! By the way, Marius, please do not make plans for tomorrow night. We have a very important party to go to." The young man groaned.

"Really, Grandfather, must I go? I'd honestly prefer to stay here and study. I'm not even that good at dancing."

"That's precisely what I wanted to discuss. It is, as you guessed, a ball, hosted by a very well off friend of mine. You'll have to escort someone unless you want to be all alone the entire time, just standing in the corner." Marius felt his heart sink. He knew who he would have taken. Cosette. Suddenly, his desire to go shrunk even more.

"There's no one to take. Guess it'll be the corner for me." he grumbled.

"Surely there's a nice young lady just itching for a date with a handsome lad such as yourself."

"No one comes to mind." They both stood in silence for a moment, thinking about the obvious. But was there time to replace her rags, and make her look presentable? His grandfather broke the quiet.

"Take Miss Eponine." he said, calmly. Marius spun on his heels and faced him, closing the book he had been reading.

"Surely, you're joking. You want me to take 'Ponine? She has nothing to wear! God knows if she can dance, and besides, she seems to be angry with me anyway."

"Well you had better make up fast. As for the clothes, take her down to the seamstress and find her a dress to wear. It's about time we see her out of that horrid frock." After mumbling a few words of disapproval, Marius sulked out of the room and down the hall. He gently knocked on Eponine's door.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"It's the King. Now let me in."

"Marius, what do you want?" she groaned. He stuck his head through the door and gave her an apologetic smile. She looked away with a pout.

"Don't be cross with me, 'Ponine. I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She snapped her head back to him and blinked. Maybe he was not as big an idiot as she had thought. At least he had picked up on her coldness, and had managed to connect it with his own actions.

"You didn't hurt my feelings, Monsieur. You just annoyed me too much." she lied.

"Well, whatever I did, I'm sorry." he said. Looking into his green eyes, she could tell he was sincere. He had no way of knowing anyway, since she had not told him. A little smile appeared on her face.

"It's alright." she said, looking into her lap. He clapped his hands and strutted into the bedroom.

"Fantastic, because I need a favor!" he said, with enthusiasm. Suddenly, he had found himself feeling a little excited. How interesting it would be to see Eponine transformed for the party.

"I'm not taking anymore letters..." she warned. Marius laughed. He then explained the whole situation to her, and asked if she would be so kind as to cooperate. Eponine could not believe what she was hearing. After the initial wave of joy, a second emotion took over her. Fear. She was so afraid of disappointing him, and everybody. She hadn't been to a party since she was a little girl, and the parties she and her parents did go to, well, they had not been invited. Her family had crashed dozens of weddings, balls, and other events, each time wearing a different disguise. That's where she had learned to dance. But still, they were but distant memories now.

"I don't know... What if I'm no good? Those people will be watching me like hawks, just waiting for a mistake." He grabbed her hands, and tried to put her worries to rest.

"Eponine. You'll be great. Now let's go get you a dress. I'm thinking pink, what about you?"

"Pink sounds good." she giggled. For the first time ever, she was starting to feel almost like a princess.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

The two arrived at a local shop, known for it's very fancy attire, late that afternoon. Although it was not unusual for a man to be there, Marius did feel a little awkward as he sifted through the dresses, trying to find a good match for Eponine. He kept reminding himself that there was nothing un-masculine about helping somebody, even if it meant browsing through a bunch women's clothing. Suddenly, small cluster of girls walked behind him and started giggling.

"Surely they do not think I'm shopping for myself..." he thought, turning a bit red. Marius spun around quickly, only to discover that he was not the source of their amusement, but instead they were snickering at Eponine, whose stained and ragged outfit stood out like a sore thumb in the room full of elegant gowns. The poor girl looked away in embarrassment, thinking about how she would normally have hissed or even spat towards the mademoiselles, but now she was here with Marius, and would never act so vulgar in front of him.

"Oh my, is this the place for you?" one of them said, with a malicious smile. "I didn't know they allow dogs in here." Just then Marius rushed between them, putting a hand on Eponine's shoulder. They girls looked a bit taken aback by his handsome face.

"The answer to your question is yes. They certainly do not permit dogs in here, which is why you all should be leaving immediately." he snapped. The stunned bunch had no idea how to respond to such a remark, and simply glared at him then scuttled away, all while mumbling some pathetic attempt to have the last word.

"I knew this was a bad idea..." groaned Eponine, who was horribly ashamed that she had triggered such a scene. She slowly looked up at Marius, to see if he was angry. Much to her surprise, he had a huge smile on his face.

"I was pretty scary just then, wasn't I?" he laughed. Eponine blinked in astonishment.

"Y-yes, it was quite brave of you, Mouseir! But, I hope I have not caused you trouble..." Marius rolled his eyes with a grin, and turned back to the row of dresses.

"Not at all, Mademoiselle. I cannot have anyone insulting my date in such a manner! Now, go put this on." he said, handing her a very intricate, light pink dress. It was covered in large ribbons and rows of lace, and had a floral pattern on the skirt. Eponine hesitated to touch it, in fear that she would somehow dirty the delicate fabric. Marius tapped his foot.

"What? You don't like this one?" he teased.

"It's not that... I just don't want to ruin it..." she said.

"Nonsense. Go." he dropped it in her arms, spun her around, and shoved her towards the area in the back, that had been sealed off by a large curtain, for the fitting. The woman who owned the store followed, to give her some assistance. Marius smiled to himself, thinking about how Eponine had not been shopping for clothes since she was a little girl, and it made him happy that he was the first one to take her now. He sat down on a round, cushioned stool, and waited for her to come out.

"Cosette would have worn a dress like that." he began to think. "Maybe that's what lead me to it. I wonder if Eponine will look like Cos-" he stopped himself before he could think that. "No, no replacements."

After a few moments, the curtain retracted and Eponine emerged from behind. Her hair had been quickly tied up in the back, using a white ribbon, so it would stay out of her face. Marius stood up, his eyes widening. She was truly a vision. It was as if someone had just polished a beautiful piece of silver, that gone untouched for years. All of her best features were suddenly visible, and she looked like a proper young woman. The seamstress laughed at his speechless reaction.

"You just wait til she gets her face made up, and hair done!"

"All that? For me?" Eponine asked, clearly excited.

"O-of course, I... so, this is the one, right?" he barely managed to reply. She hesitated to answer.

"Well, Marius, I do love this dress. It would be an amazing gift, but I was wondering if I might try on one more."

"I don't see how any dress could be better." he laughed, sheepishly. Literally every word he had said all afternoon had been a surprise to the both of them. Eponine was filled with joy by all the attention she had been getting, and Marius was simply confused by his own responses.

"Please," she begged. "Just one." He sighed.

"Alright, but it better be good." Eponine and the seamstress smiled at each other.

"Monsieur Pontmercy, you will be very impressed!" said the woman, who had completely deciphered the relationship of the two from the time they entered her store. The ladies retreated behind the curtain, once again leaving Marius to his thoughts. But this time, in order to keep from becoming more perplexed by his emotions, he forced himself to think of other things. Unresolved issues, like the Thenardiers. Where the notorious couple even looking for their daughter? Did they assume she had died alongside Gavroche at the barricade? What would happen if and when they show up? All these questions had been concerning him for weeks. Truly, he wasn't ready for Eponine to go.

"Ah! No, Marius!" he whispered to himself, shaking his head. He was not going there. Just then, the curtain was once again pulled back and Eponine stepped out. This time, the pink was gone, and the new dress she wore was a deep scarlet, adorned in black beads and lace. In addition, she had a ruffled choker on, and a feathered headpiece clipping back her messy, self-cut bangs. The entire ensemble could only be describe in one word: Eponine. It was completely Eponine.

"Well, what do you think?" she said, beaming. Marius clapped his hands, and walked towards her. He held out his arm for her to grab and lead her on a brief stroll around the room.

"I think it's absolutely perfect. What about you, Madam?" he said to the seamstress. "Are we a presentable pair?". The woman smiled, knowingly.

"Oh yes, Monsieur. Most definitely."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5 (Thank you all so much for the reviews! I really love hearing what you all think!)**

"Oh mademoiselle, you look beautiful!" said the Pontmercy housemaid, clapping her hands together. She was an elderly woman who had volunteered to help Eponine get ready for the party she and Marius were being forced to attend that evening. After three hours of work, the women were finally getting a chance to relish in their finished product. Looking in the mirror, Eponine could hardly recognize herself. All the dirt was gone, and her hair was brushed and pulled into a fancy up-do, complete with perfect curls and the clip Marius had bought her earlier that afternoon. Her cheeks had been dusted in a rosy blush, and her lips were as red and radiant as her dress.

"I've never worn make up like this…" said Eponine, still in shock from the sight of herself. "I feel like a princess."

"Well, you certainly look like one, my dear." smiled the maid. "I'll be just down the hall if you need anything else." And then Eponine was alone.

"What a change of fate… what a miracle… a month ago I was on the streets! And now I'm dressed like this! Going to a party! With Marius…" she said softly. The whole thing was very overwhelming. She was so happy, and so scared at the same time. If her future could change that quickly, she had to be careful. Eponine knew that if Cosette were to return, Marius would drop her in a second. And there was still the issue of her parents. If they found out she was still alive, they would certainly try to take her back. But at least for tonight, Eponine wanted to forget all these things, and enjoy her date with Marius. She walked in front of the mirror once more, spinning around, and watching her dress flow in a circle. She hoped she was still skinny enough without a corset. It was terribly uncomfortable for her to wear one, since her bullet wound was still not completely healed. After a brief moment, she decided she definitely was. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you ready 'Ponine?" called Marius. "We can't be late or Grandfather will be very cross! I swear, I'll say it was all your fault!" he teased.

"Something tells me he'll understand." she smiled, opening the door. At that moment both their jaws dropped, each of them so dazzled by the other's appearance. Marius, was the perfect picture of a well-off gentleman, wearing a sleek black coat, fastened with brass buttons. His hair was perfectly smoothed back, and his bright green eyes acted as a brilliant contrast to his monochrome attire. After a brief moment of revelation, they suddenly burst into laughter.

"Well! I'd say we clean up pretty well, don't you think 'Ponine?"

"I'd have to agree with you, Monsieur!" she beamed.

"I suppose we should get this over with?"

"Good idea." Although there was no denying that they were both becoming extremely excited. They quickly went down the stairs, Eponine holding up her dress, trying her best to move fast and not trip. Outside the front door waited a huge horse-drawn carriage. It had red velvet seats on the inside and a shiny black exterior. Marius groaned.

"As expected, my grandfather decided to be extravagant. I hope this isn't all too much for you."

"You must be joking!" she squealed. "This is amazing!"

"Will you two hurry up and get in the coach?" called Marius' Grandfather, who had been waiting for a good twenty minutes and was very disgruntled.

It was a relatively short ride, and when they arrived at the mansion, the party was in full swing. After having their names announced at the entrance, Marius lead Eponine into the ballroom, while his Grandfather joined a group of older men for a smoke on the balcony. The room was absolutely gorgeous. Glowing lanterns hung from the ceiling, the marble floor was white as ivory, and everywhere Eponine looked, the were stunning dresses, fancy foods, and lively musicians. She scuttled over to the a butler holding a tray in his hand, and sampled the delicious cuisine that was on it. She didn't even know what it was, but it was by far the best food she had eaten in a long time. Sheepishly, she grabbed two more and returned to Marius.

"What is this, Marius? I've never had anything like it!" she said, placing one in his palm. He just stared at it, with no reply.

"Marius...?" she said again, shaking his arm. Had she messed up already?

"Sorry, 'Ponine... I was just thinking about how there's not really many men my age here." She knew what he meant. This is the first social event he had been to since the barricade. The usual group of rambunctious students were not there to flirt with the girls, laugh too loud, and drink too much. He did seem to be at least ten years junior to most of the other party goers, although there were plenty of girls' Eponine's age. She sighed and patted his arm.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur." she said, looking down. Marius just shook his head and popped the appetizer into his mouth.

"No matter, let's dance." he said taking her hand.

"W-wait! I don't know this one!" she protested, pulling back. He rolled his eyes, and pulled her in closer.

"Then just follow my lead."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6- Sorry I haven't updated in forever! Here it is! **

It was not long before Eponine and Marius found themselves completely engrossed by the party. The joyous melodies of the musicians had taken the room by storm, and it seemed as if nearly everyone was dancing. Although it had taken them a couple songs, the two were stuck in a seemingly endless pattern of spins, lifts, dips, and laughs. There was even a point where Marius did not know the dance being played and felt an urgent need to improvise. He grabbed Eponine from behind, lifted her off the ground, and whirled her around in a circle.

"Whoa!" she laughed, smiling possibly the biggest smile she could physically produce. As the songs continued, Eponine felt herself feeling more and more euphoric, but also, increasingly tired. After a vigorous waltz, she desperately needed a break.

"I think some fresh air would be nice." she said, breathing heavily.

"I have to agree with you," he replied. "But first let me check on Grandfather and make sure he has not caused any trouble." Eponine stumbled out onto the balcony, which was quite crowded with other party-goers who had the same "fresh air" idea. She glanced around until she saw a narrow staircase, leading behind the mansion. She decided to make her way down, and rest against the railing at the bottom, figuring that she'd return before Marius got worried. She just needed a moment in solitude to regroup before dancing again. After half-mindedly observing her surroundings, Eponine noticed something. She recognized where she was. Yes, it was very clear to her now. The street that was parallel to where she was standing was just a block away from an alley where her father and his gang had met many times. They had designated the area as a planning site for their schemes that involved robbing the wealthy, whether it was going door-to-door with some phony sob-story, or just directly breaking into the mansions. This was near their hiding place on the rich side of town. Suddenly an overwhelming fear crept over her. What if the men were meeting tonight? What if one of them recognized her? Then she heard the sound of a bottle breaking, followed by an unmistakable laugh from around the block. Eponine turn on the spot and began to swiftly ascend up the staircase. But it was too late. Thénardier had seen her.

"What is this?! Do my eyes deceive me?" he called from across the street. Eponine cringed. Do not turn around, do not turn around, she thought.

"Hold on a bit boys, I got to talk to my darling daughter!" the drunken group of men laughed and began heading back towards the alleyway. By now Eponine was climbing as fast as she could, taking two steps at a time. Had the staircase been this long before?

"Come on deary? Don't tell me you'd run from your own Papa? Your mother and I have been worried sick about you, we have!" This made her stop. She wondered if he was lying or not. Odds are he was, but what if it were true? Had her parents really missed her? Every bone in her body was telling her to return to the party, but somehow at that moment she could not bring herself to keep climbing.

"If you missed me so much, why didn't you come looking?" she growled, barely giving him a sideways glance.

"Ah, but we did!" Thénardier said as he rose up behind her. "We spent hours looking about!" Eponine scoffed. Hours. Then he grabbed her by the wrist, with a little more force than she would like. She turned around to see that his whole aura was suddenly dripping with hostility.

"So now it's time for you to come on back with me."

"No!" she cried, attempting to rip her hand from his filthy grip. Next thing she knew, her new hair clip was crushed, as he began dragging her along by a fist full of hair. Just as she was about to scream for help, Marius was by her side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my date?" he said, in a calm but stern voice.

"Aha! What is this? Has the esteemed Pontmercy boy gotten himself seduced by my little street urchin here?" With that Marius pounded the man in the face with a impact strong enough to send him tumbling down the stairs. As Thénardier sloppily tried to recover, Eponine quickly explained what had happened.

"Oh really?" laughed Marius. "He thinks I'd actually let you go with him?"

"Oh, I don't think it's up to you boy." Eponine wanted desperately to run away. She wanted to rush back into the carriage and go home. And by home, she meant Marius' house. The only place she truly felt any sense of security these days.

"Let's go back, while we can! Come on, now!" she pleaded. Thénardier cackled and pulled himself up by the railing, coughing and wiping the spit and blood off of his lips.

"Then what? You go back, she stays for a while, and what? Will she live with you forever, Pontmercy? What will you wife think? Or do you intend to marry her? Of course not! She's got one future and that's with me." Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued to tug at Marius' jacket.

"Please let's just go! Please!"

"I've got a dozen young men in my crowd who are more than ready to take her. I've got a hundred jobs for her to do too! Face it, both of you! Her place is with me."

"You're wrong." said Marius. "Her place is, and will always be, with me."


End file.
